“It is the very mind itself that leads the mind astray; Of the mind, do not be mindless.”

– Takuan Soho

For centuries, millions have flocked to the precarious cliffs, gushing rivers, bountiful forests, serene landscapes and flora and fauna of Oku in search of a spiritual awakening, including two very influential figures in Japanese history.

Prominent master of Zen and proficient gardener, painter, calligrapher, tea master, poet, and author Takuan Soho was banished to Dewa no Kuni (present-day Yamagata and Akita Prefectures) in 1629 for protesting the Shogun’s interference in temple matters, before later becoming an instrumental advisor to later Shogun who effectively ruled Japan for more than 200 years.

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home”

-Matsuo Basho

By the mid to late 1600s, Japan’s premiere Haiku poet Matsuo Basho had reached the top of the literary world affording him unavoidable luxury on his travels. In search of philosophy and creativity, Basho knew he had to travel further than ever before, even if it led to his death. Rumours of the people living by the philosophies of old on the border to the lands where the native Japanese Emishi tribes lived attracted Basho in an unprecedented way. These travels to Oku culminated in the quintessential Japanese classic The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Join the many millions who have made the pilgrimage to Oku over the millennia in search of a spiritual awakening.

For over 1400 years, Yamagata Prefecture has been the home to hundreds of pilgrimages on the mystifying Dewa Sanzan, Mt. Gassan, Mt. Yudono, and Mt. Haguro. Not to mention the prefecture is also the location of the famous Yamadera temple hanging off the edge of a cliff, and the towering Mt. Chokai, a.k.a the Fuji of the north, making it the best place to experience the spiritual side of the land of the rising sun.

Yamabushi-Guided Kochu Pilgrimage on Mt. Haguro

Get immersed in the Michelin-starred towering cedars and stone stairway of Mt. Haguro

Join an ancient Kochu pilgrimage with a certified Yamabushi

Take part in the breathtaking official worship ritual at Dewa Sanzan Shrine

Discover the ancient connection between Buddha, Kami gods, with nature that the Japanese have had for millennia.

Taste life as a Yamabushi on Mt. Haguro. Your Yamabushi guide will take you from your Shukubo Pilgrim Lodge up Mt. Haguro, stopping for a small meal at Nino-zaka Teahouse, before arriving at Dewa Sanzan Shrine at the top for the official worship ritual.

Learn How to Maintain a Zen State of Mind

Zen Meditation in the famous temples of Risshakuji, otherwise known as Yamadera

Discover the hidden ancient haunts of the monk who founded the famous mountain temple

Try your hand at calligraphy like the Buddhist monks of old

Let us take you to the original spots the founder, Jikaku Daishi trained in, and tell you the origin story. Just a hint, it’s not where you think it is. Get to know everything there is about Yamadera Temple, the famous temple on the precipice of a cliff.

Escape to a Zen monastery

Zenpoji Temple, Tsuruoka

Zen Meditation in a purpose-built meditation hall

Calligraphy under the guidance of Zen monks

Ancient rituals that have been passed down through the centuries

Try Zen Meditation in the specially-built meditation hall, wake up to the prayer session that has been continuing non-stop for more than 100 years, or try your hand at Japanese calligraphy. Accommodation available.

Dewaya is a Ryokan, traditional Japanese Lodge, in Nishikawa on the inland Yamagata side of Mt. Gassan. The nearby forests of the mountains are covered in edible vegetables and mushrooms that are ripe for the picking. Join the team on one of their expeditions, and help prepare a feast for the ages complete with local sake.

Get in Touch with your Primitive Self

Mt. Yudono

Experience Yamabushi training at the most sacred of the three Dewa Sanzan, Mt. Yudono

Try waterfall meditation in the ice-cold falls

Experienced Yamabushi guides

Authentic Fire Festival

Join the Yamabushi as they take you on a journey to rebirth on the most sacred of the Dewa Sanzan, Mt. Yudono. Experience authentic waterfall meditation in the frigid waters and trek through the wild bush surrounding Mt. Yudono shrine.

Mt. Haguro

With its stone stairway and five-storied pagoda situated amongst the hundreds of towering cedars and the thickest thatched roof in Japan at Sanjin-gosaiden Shrine, Mt. Haguro is a definite must-see.

Located at the food of the Dewa Sanzan is the Shukubogai, a village of pilgrim lodges built in the 1600s specifically for those making a pilgrimage on the Dewa Sanzan. In its heyday, this village hosted more than 3 million pilgrims annually, providing not only lodging, but a place for pilgrims to change into the traditional Shiroshozoku garments and purify their bodies by eating the Shojin Ryori (ascetic cuisine) before heading out on their pilgrimage of rebirth.

Mt. Gassan

From the mist-covered Midagahara marshlands, to the rocky mountain paths over ice and snow, the 1,984m (6,509ft.) Mt. Gassan is the tallest of the three Dewa Sanzan.

When we die, it is said that our souls spend an arduous 33 years training, starting in the lower-lying mountains such as Mt. Haguro, until eventually reaching the top of Mt. Gassan where we turn into gods.

As such, Mt. Gassan is the metaphoric border into heaven where we can meet our deceased ancestors, and represents the world of the afterlife.

Mt. Yudono

The world of the future where we come face-to-face with our future selves

Mt. Yudono is home to the most sacred part of the Dewa Sanzan, the object of worship in Mt. Yudono Shrine. So sacred, in fact, that there is an age-old rule forbidding any mention of it.

Mt. Yudono was also the training ground for the Sokushinbutsu. Otherwise known as Buddha Mummies or Living Buddha, Sokushinbutsu are self-mummified monks that sacrificed their lives to leave evidence of reaching enlightenment in the current world, and in the hopes of providing salvation to the people.

Zenpoji Monastery

Tsuruoka City

Zen monks have been training at Zenpoji Monastery for over a millennium. Dedicated to the ocean, the temple is home to one of Tsuruoka City’s five-storied pagodas, the only city in Japan to have more than one, illustrating the strong spiritual

beliefs of the townspeople.

Zenpoji has a shrine where two dragon gods reside, with dragons traditionally symbolising water in the east.

The temple offers Zen experiences such as meditation and calligraphy, and guests are also welcome to stay there.

Food: The Essence of Life

All life comes from the mountains. The leaves fall on the trees, and the bacteria help develop nutrient-rich mulch. The rain and snow fall and carry these nutrients down through the rivers and across the plains providing the grains, vegetables, and fruits with the necessities of life. Necessities that also sustain the wildlife, and the birds and fish alike. The rivers flow into the sea and provide nutrients to the creatures in the ocean. The mountains provide food, the essence of life.

The bountiful mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, and sea have provided the people of Yamagata with hearty meals for centuries. Yamagata Prefecture is known as the home of rice production in Japan, and is home to the only UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the country, Tsuruoka City. The unwavering spiritual belief of the people of Yamagata has lead to a distinctive food culture based around worshipping nature.

Yamagata prefecture is covered with places to devour the unique food culture of this very special part of Japan that can be tried at the numerous restaurants, temples, shrines, and accommodation facilities.

Yamagata’s Finest Cuisine

Dewa Sanzan Shojin Ryori Cuisine

The Shojin Ryori of the Dewa Sanzan is a major reason why Tsuruoka City was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Try the large variety of dishes sourced straight from the surrounding mountains.

Dewaya Furumai Ryori Cuisine

Freshly foraged mountain vegetables and mushrooms are on the menu with the Dewaya Furumai Ryori Set.

Yamadera Fumotoya Cuisine

Taste the flavours of the season with the locally-sourced ingredients in Fumotoya’s famous set meal.

Accommodation

SHUKUBO: PILGRIM LODGES

Shukubo are lodges dedicated to pilgrims. Each has their own prayer hall for Yamabushi to change into their Shiroshozoku garments, and Shojin Ryori ascetic cuisine for purification before entering the mountains.

RYOKAN: TRADITIONAL INNS

Put yourself in an age gone by with a stay in one of Yamagata’s many Onsen Ryokan, traditional hot spring inns.

TEMPLE AND SHRINE STAYS

Wake up to chanting monks and try Zen Meditation or Calligraphy at one of the many temples and shrines in Yamagata.

HOTELS

For those who simply want a place to rest their head, Yamagata has plenty of hotels available.

Shukubo Pilgrim Lodges

Daishinbo Shukubo

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